Electronic transaction systems and methods for gaming or amusement credit purchases

ABSTRACT

Systems, and methods are provided for the electronic purchase of gaming or amusement credits using a transaction device at a patron&#39;s location to apply funds from a financial account to the purchase of credits for use with an amusement or gaming device, system, or point of other wagering activity. Such credits are provided at the patron&#39;s location in the form of a printed ticket or other physical indicia of equivalent value, credits appearing in the credit meter and on the display of a gaming device, credit issued to a player card confirmed at the patron&#39;s location, credit issued to a debit card confirmed at the patron&#39;s location, and/or cash or other monetary-equivalents. In addition, physical confirmation of the completed electronic transaction from the patron&#39;s financial account may be concurrently provided to the patron in the form of a receipt.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Continuation-in-Part of pending U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/210,450, filed on Mar. 14, 2014 entitled“Systems and Methods for Electronic Fund Transfers for Use with GamingSystems”, which was a Continuation that claimed benefit of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/156,444 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,715,066), filed onJun. 9, 2011 and entitled “System and Method for Electronic FundTransfers for Use with Gaming Systems”, which in turn claimed benefit ofU.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/354,339, filed on Jun. 14,2010 and entitled “System and Method for Wireless Electronic FundTransfers for Use With Gaming Systems”. This application also claimsbenefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/932,777, filed onJan. 28, 2014 and entitled “System and Methods for Electronic FundTransfers for in Gaming Environments”. The instant application iscommonly owned with and incorporates herein by reference in theirentireties for all useful purposes, all four of applications enumeratedabove (Ser. Nos. 14/210,450, 13/156,444, 61/354,339, and 61/932,777).Further, this application also incorporates herein by reference in theirentireties for all useful purposes the commonly owned and assignedpending applications each entitled “Systems and Methods for ElectronicFund Transfers for Use with Gaming Systems” identified by U.S.application Ser. Nos. 14/210,445, 14/210,453, and 14/210,456. In theevent of inconsistency between anything stated in this specification andanything incorporated by reference in this specification, thisspecification shall govern.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to systems and methods for the electronicpurchase of gaming or amusement credits, and in particular to thepurchase of gaming credits for use with table-based casino games.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Currently, the primary method of transferring funds into gaming devicesand systems is through cash or tickets such as “monetary value” orticket-in/ticket-out (TITO) tickets. In addition, funds may betransferred into gaming and amusement devices and systems via cash inthe form of paper currency or coins, “monetary value cards”, gametokens, or coupons. The funds are usually converted into gaming oramusement credits through a cash acceptance device, such as a coinacceptor, bill acceptor, or card reader associated with the gamingdevice. Gaming or amusement credits on a gaming machine may be exportedonto monetary value tickets or a value onto a card to be used in agaming or amusement facility. At the direction of the patron, the gamingor amusement credits can be redeemed and converted back into cash. Aticketing system or a value card system is used to read the tickets,print tickets, and write onto the value card the amount to be cashed outat an external kiosk or cashier station.

The gaming or amusement device system normally contains a cashacceptance device, usually referred to as a bill acceptor, to convertcash into game play credits for use on the machine. It may also containa loyalty card system and/or a ticketing system that includes a ticketreader and a ticket printer to read tickets with game play credit and toprint tickets when the patron is ready to cash out such that the valueremaining in the gaming or amusement device can be printed on the ticketwith a special barcode or system recognizable code for use in anothermachine or can be redeemed for cash with a cashier or attendant in thespecific gaming or amusement facility. Normally, credit is issued on thegaming or amusement device when cash is inserted into the device, orwhen a ticket with value on it is read by the device, or when a loyaltycard is read which can provide free play, thus allowing the patron toplay the game. If a patron is playing on a gaming device and runs out ofcredit and has no more cash to put into the gaming or amusement device,the patron is forced to leave the gaming or amusement device, find anATM cash machine, kiosk, or cashier station, withdraw cash, and thenreturn to the gaming or amusement device.

Card and/or ticket systems are also used in connection with gaming oramusement machines in environments where the gaming or amusementmachines issue and accept cards and/or tickets in lieu of money. Suchsystems provide a workable cashless system on a local or multi-propertylevel. The casino operator's system redeems an amount of money from thecard system for the assigned card and/or from the value imprinted on theticket through visual or other optical inspection or via a ticketvalidation system. Card and/or ticketing systems are advantageousbecause they reduce the amount of cash transactions and the need for thepatron to transport and hold large amounts of cash or coins.Consequently, ticketing systems have become common in most gaming andamusement jurisdictions and the applicable hardware is manufactured andsupplied as peripheral devices by various manufacturers. Systems inticket-based gaming environments require each machine to have one ormore dedicated devices to read and write cards, tickets, and/or similarphysical indicia of game play credit.

The role of card reader devices and/or ticketing machines has recentlybeen expanded to enable patrons to redeem the card value and/or ticketat a gaming or amusement device. As before, the card and/or ticketingsystem issues cash-out card credit to the card system and/or amonetary-equivalent ticket in response to a patron's cash-out request.In the expanded role, the cash-out card and/or ticket includesinformation that enables the patron to present the card and/or ticket toa cashier or redemption machine or kiosk. The patron may also re-insertthe card and/or ticket into a gaming or amusement device configured toaccept card and/or ticket transactions.

In this expanded role, the card and/or ticket accepting gaming oramusement devices must now contain a card and/or ticket reader as wellas the card system communication and/or ticket printer. In the expandedsystem, the cash-out card communicates with a local card system whichtracks date and time of cash-out credits for the identification card andthe ticket typically contains a barcode, a written ticket amount, thetime and date of printing, a numerical representation of the barcode andother identification and validation information specific to theproperty. To redeem the card and/or ticket for its monetary ornon-monetary value, the patron either presents the card and/or ticket tothe operator who validates the card and/or ticket and pays the patron anamount of money or prizes, or the patron inserts the card and/or ticketinto a card and/or ticket-ready gaming or amusement device, whereby thegaming or amusement device provides the patron with a number of creditsequal to the amount represented by or encoded in the card system or onthe ticket. It is important to note that these prior art systems rely onphysical indicia that are required to be generated (such as by printingby conventional print processes using appropriate electromechanicalmachines) and required to be read for validation purposes (such as by anelectromechanical device including ticket readers, bill acceptors, orthe like) in order for the system to function properly. Tickets in theseprior art systems cannot be generated, read, or validated by humanpersonnel alone. Humans are not capable of generating tickets of thetype known in the prior art without the assistance of specializedelectromechanical printing devices. Further, and even when aconventional gaming ticket is presented by a patron to a human cashier,dealer, or other authorized personnel for redemption, the ticket muststill be inserted into an appropriate electromechanical redemptiondevice to be read and validated. Further, an inherent characteristic ofprior art ticketing systems is that the machine-generated tickets arenegotiable and serve as indicia of credit or monetary value that isredeemable by or payable to the bearer upon demand, in some instancessubject to criteria including but not limited to ticket expirationdates, reported cases of lost or stolen tickets, and the like.

The controllers of the card and/or ticket-ready gaming devices areadapted to coordinate with the card and/or ticket validation system. Forexample, when a payout is issued the card and/or ticket is inserted intoa card and/or ticket reader equipped in a gaming or amusement device,the ticket reader forwards information, which can be stored on a barcodein the instance of tickets, to the game's or amusement's controller. Thegame or amusement device controller recognizes this information as cardand/or ticket information and forwards the card and/or ticketinformation to a card and/or ticket validation system external to thegaming or amusement device. The card and/or ticket validation systemanalyzes the card and/or ticket information, and if the card and/orticket is valid, the card and/or ticket validation system provides thegame or amusement controller with an authorization to credit the gamingmachine with the amount represented by the credits in the card system orrepresented by encoded value on the ticket.

Alternatively, if the card and/or ticket validation system detects thatthe card and/or ticket is not valid, the card and/or ticket validationsystem instructs the game or amusement controller to reject the cardand/or ticket. The card and/or ticket validation system may also log thefailed attempt in a database that will record the Information for futurereference.

Card and/or ticketing benefits each patron, not just those wishing toaccess funds from or near the gaming and/or amusement device. Gaming andamusement establishments have also become familiar with the card andticketing systems and their proven performance. Card and ticketingsystems are proliferating within the gaming and amusement industry.

Electronic gaming machines either have fixed or variable wager amounts“per play”; that is, each individual wager is set at a certain monetaryamount, be it $0.05, $0.25, $1.00, or some other value. This is similarto the concept that different casino chips have different denominations.Some electronic gaming machines permit the patron to change the “perplay” value to suit his preference. Most machines also offer patrons theability to place more than one “per play” wager on the outcome of anyparticular game. In slot machines, this is usually associated with theaddition of additional paylines upon which a winning combination will bepaid to the patron, increasing the chances of winning. In video poker,wagering additional per-play credits usually increases the amount of anywinnings on a proportional basis. That is, wagering three per-playcredits in lieu of just one will result in a winning hand paying ajackpot three times as large. It is common in video poker EGMs for apatron to become eligible for additional bonus awards and/or jackpotpayouts when the maximum number of paylines are played. This ofteninvolves wagering more than one per-play credit for the play of onegame.

A gaming device or system accepts cash or monetary-equivalent funds froma patron, holds the funds in the form of game play credits, representedby an equivalent monetary value, while the patron plays at the gaming oramusement device, and enables the patron to retrieve his unused gameplay credits at any time. Gaming and amusement devices provide amechanism by which the patron can input and maintain a pool of money(i.e., credits) or amusement credits of non-monetary value in the gamingor amusement device to play many games of the gaming or amusementdevice.

By retaining a pool of game credits, gaming and amusement devices do notrequire the patron to input a wagerable or playable amount of money inthe gaming or amusement device prior to each play. When the patron wins,the gaming or amusement devices adds the credits won to the patron'sprior credits on the machine so the gaming or amusement deviceaccumulates and stores the patron's winnings. When the patron wishes tostop playing, the gaming or amusement devices provide a mechanism bywhich the patron can retrieve the monetary or non-monetary value creditsthat remain in the pool.

In present gaming environments where transfer of funds to enable gameplay is expected to be seamless, the gaming or amusement device isrequired to have the ability in real-time to send and receiveinformation pertaining to the patron, game content, game outcomes,and/or any number of other aspects of its normal operation, accept,validate, and process an amount of cash or monetary-equivalent creditsthat have been applied to the machine, convert any cash input to themachine into the proper amount of game or amusement credits, deduct theappropriate credits from the patron's credit balance for each game play,conduct the game, add or subtract an amount of credits that the patronwins or loses during game play, and effect an appropriate and accuratecash-out when the patron desires by converting remaining game playcredits into cash or monetary-equivalent physical or electronic form fortransfer as the patron directs. Usually, the gaming device's processorand memory systems provide these various functions in addition tovarious accounting and machine security functions.

The systems and management of table games in gaming environments differfrom those used with gaming devices and/or electronic gaming machines(“EGMs”). EGMs are designed for unattended use by a patron and musttherefore provide all of the services necessary to support game play,including acceptance of wagers, processing of input from the patronduring play of the game, local determination and display of gameoutcomes or display of outcomes provided by a central determinationsystem operatively connected to the EGM, recognition of a winningoutcome, calculation and payment of any winnings to the patron, andsupport for ancillary functions including the acceptance of cash orother game play credit, printing dispensing of tickets, and the like.Most table games require the presence of one or more casino personnel toadminister the game and provide the required ancillary functions. Forexample, while an EGM configured to provide video poker game willelectronically randomize the card deck, deal, and display the patron'shand, an actual live poker game requires a dealer to shuffle and dealthe cards. Similarly, where the EGM is configured to determine winninghands and to calculate and dispense any winnings, the live dealer tableversion of the same game requires a dealer to inspect the cards,determine outcomes, calculate any winnings, and pay the appropriateamounts.

Present live table game stations do not typically include the billacceptors, ticket readers, and ticket printers now ubiquitous in modernEGMs. Instead, dealers at live table games receive cash and creditvouchers from patrons and dispense gaming chips for use on their table.Unlike EGMs, table games are often not connected to a networked casinomanagement system (“CMS”) capable of exchanging data with a centralserver for the purpose of exchanging one or more monetary equivalentinstruments for gaming chips. A system that would permit dealers oftable games in gaming environments to provide patrons with a convenientand secure system for the purchase of gaming chips electronically wouldbe a considerable improvement over the present art.

Obstacles to the use of systems to transfer funds electronically includesecurity and fund transfer confirmation. Many regulatory agencies willnot approve funds transfer systems that do not provide physicalconfirmation in durable form, such as a paper receipt, that anelectronic transfer of funds has occurred. Providing a physical recordof all such transactions would also improve overall system security andprovide suitable means for patrons and casino operators to address anydiscrepancies that may arise. Accordingly, a system to transfer fundselectronically that is suitable for use in a gaming environment oramusement environment would need to provide such evidence to obtainregulatory approval and to provide additional desired transactionsecurity. Due to the absence of wired network access at most gamingtables, a further need exists to provide a system with wirelesscapability designed to retrieve funds at the patron's direction forefficient conversion into physical credit indicia, such as casino chips,rather than directly into the credit meter of a gaming device as may bepreferred with a stand-alone EGM.

A casino patron may access funds in his financial account via anautomated teller machine (“ATM”) or cash machine. While playing a game,if a patron runs out of cash and needs to access the funds in his bankaccount, he must stop the play at the gaming or amusement device, findan ATM, extract cash, convert the cash into a monetary equivalent (ifnecessary), and then return to the gaming or amusement device. If it isstill available for play, the patron must then insert the cash or themonetary equivalent into the gaming or amusement device to continueplay. Many patrons dislike this interruption in the gaming process dueto the inconvenience and possibility of losing access to the gamingdevice or position to another patron. Once his gaming session isinterrupted, the patron may elect not to return to the machine in favorof pursuing a non-gaming activity, thereby causing a loss of potentialgaming revenue for the casino operator. There is, therefore, a need fora more convenient way for the patrons to access their funds whileplaying in a gaming or amusement environment without having to leavetheir device or position.

An ATM or cash machine operates over an ATM network such as NYCE, PLUS,STAR, or the like to transfer money from the account of a financialinstitution's customer to the ATM operator's account. The ATM operatoror designated agent or representative is responsible for loading asupply of cash in the ATM, for the security of the cash, and for themaintenance of the ATM. Normally an ATM is connected to an ATM network,which may then securely connect to the customers' financial institutionand required to access their accounts. Financial institutions and bankshave a contractual relationship with the ATM network to transfer moneyfrom the customer's financial or bank account to the ATM network. TheATM network then dispenses cash to the customer, usually retaining a feefor their service.

Accordingly, a need exists for a secure and efficient electronic systemto purchase credits that is suitable for approval and use in gamingenvironments and use in amusement environments that eliminates thereliance on stand-alone ATMs or cash machines to obtain cash for use ina gaming environment or in amusement devices at the gaming position. Inorder to obtain regulatory approval, such system should meet allrequirements and performance criteria applicable to conventional ATMsystems with respect to accounting for all electronic transactions. Anysuch transaction system for gaming should not require the conversion offunds from bank accounts into cash which must then be converted intogame play credit. For cash management and security purposes, there isalso a need for a purchasing process applicable to gaming and amusementdevices and systems that does not require a large amount of cash infloat in the gaming or amusement devices throughout the gaming oramusement facility. Furthermore, a need exists for a credit purchasingsystem that utilizes the card and/or ticketing system's hardware andsoftware as much as possible to avoid duplication of such hardware andsoftware. There is also a need for a less costly way for providing fundsfor gaming and amusement activities.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides devices, systems, and methods for theelectronic purchase of gaming or amusement credits using a securetransaction device at a patron's location to apply funds from afinancial account to the purchase of credits for use with an amusementor gaming device, system, or point of other wagering activity. Suchcredits are provided at the patron's location in the form of a printedticket or other physical indicia of equivalent value, credits appearingin the credit meter and on the display of a gaming device, credit issuedto a player card confirmed at the patron's location, credit issued to adebit card confirmed at the patron's location, and/or cash or othermonetary-equivalents. In addition, physical confirmation of thecompleted electronic transaction from the patron's financial account maybe concurrently provided to the patron in the form of a receipt.

In one embodiment, the electronic transaction system (“ETS”) includes anelectronic transaction terminal (“ETT”) at the patron's location thataccepts secure personal identification number(“PIN”)-based transactionrequests to initiate electronic transactions, including but not limitedto those described as “point-of-sale” transactions. Said ETT isoperatively and securely connected to a secured first computing devicethat routes said transaction requests to a secured banking network forprocessing. Further, the secured first computing device communicates thetransaction request data and the results received from the securedbanking network in response to said transaction request to a securedsecond computing device with identification of the electronictransaction terminal at which the transaction request originated. If therequested transaction has been approved, the secured first computingdevice then directs the delivery of game play credit to a credit systemat the gaming device, system, or point of other wagering activityassociated with the originating electronic transaction terminal. If therequested transaction is not approved, the patron is notified of theoutcome and no game play credit is delivered. In either case, the patronmay be provided with a physical record of the transaction, in the formof a receipt, from the electronic transaction terminal or the gamingdevice.

In one embodiment, the ETS may be used to securely transfer funds fromthe patron's financial account to a prepaid debit card, which debit cardmay be issued by the casino operator directly or via a third partyfinancial institution on behalf of the casino operator. Such debit cardsmay be used by the patron just like any Visa card, Master Card, ATMcard, or other card at any location that accepts such cards.

In one embodiment, the ETS may be used to securely transfer funds fromthe patron's financial account to a player's hospitality or loyalty cardaccount issued by the gaming operator. Such player's card accountspermit patrons to use an account in their name that is accessible andavailable for use at the casino operator's property for expendituresrelated to gaming, dining, entertainment, shopping, and other purposes.In the case of operators with multiple gaming properties, said accountsmay be accessible at all or some of the operator's other co-owned orco-managed properties as well. Player's cards and accounts are intendedto encourage loyalty on the part of patrons and provide rewards,bonuses, discounts, and/or other inducements for the patron to returnand play at the casino operator's property. An additional advantage ofthis system for the casino operator is that the activity of patrons withplayer's cards and accounts may be tracked to determine their patron'sgaming and spending activity to permit targeted marketing for eachpatron and compile statistical information on the operation of thegaming environment.

In one embodiment, the invention features an electronic transactionsystem for managing and applying electronic funds from a patron'sfinancial account to a credit system for use on an amusement device or agaming device, system, or in any other wagering activity within a gamingenvironment. The system comprises a credit system configured to dispensegame play credit for the benefit of a patron in physical or electronicform, an electronic transaction terminal, and a secured first computingdevice communicatively connected to the credit system, the electronictransaction terminal, the patron's financial account via a securedbanking network, and a secured second computing device. The securedsecond computing device is configured to account for and reconcile thetransactions. The electronic transaction terminal comprises a secureclient-side application for receiving transaction instructions from thepatron and means for initiating and transmitting the transactioninstructions to the patron's financial institution. The electronictransaction terminal is configured to connect exclusively to the securedfirst computing device, to initiate communications with the patron'sfinancial institution, and to transmit the transaction instructions tothe secured banking network via the secured first computing device.

In one embodiment, the invention features a method for managing andapplying electronic funds from a patron's financial account to a creditsystem in the form of gaming or amusement credits. The method maycomprise the following steps. First, providing a credit systemconfigured to dispense credit for the benefit of a patron via physicalor electronic credit means. Next, providing an electronic transactionterminal comprising a secure client-side application for receivinginstructions from the patron for applying electronic funds from thepatron's financial account toward the purchase of gaming or amusementcredits via the credit system, and means for transmitting thetransaction instructions to the patron's financial account. Next,providing a secured first computing device configured to connect to thepatron's financial accounts via a secured banking network. Next,providing a secured second computing device comprising a database, insecured communication with the secured first computing device, andconfigured to account for and reconcile the transactions. Next,communicatively connecting the electronic transaction terminal to thesecured first computing device, communicating with the patron'sfinancial account, and transmitting transaction instructions to purchasecredits using electronic funds present in the patron's financial accountvia the secured first computing device. Finally, transferring electronicfunds from the patron's financial account to the credit system via thesecured first computing device.

In one embodiment, the invention features a method for managing andapplying electronic funds from a patron's financial account to a creditsystem. The method may comprise the following steps. First, providing anelectronic transaction terminal. Next, initiating an application in theelectronic transaction terminal via a payment instrument, therebycausing the electronic transaction terminal to send a request to asecured first computing device to connect to an secured banking networkof the patron's financial account associated with the paymentinstrument. Next, checking if the payment instrument is acceptable bythe secured first computing device, and if the payment instrument isacceptable, sending a response to the electronic transaction terminalcomprising a patron user interface of the financial applicationassociated with the payment instrument. Next, entering a PIN in thepatron interface by the patron and sending the entered information tothe secured first computing device. Next, sending a request comprising aGlobal Unique Identifier (GUID) of the financial application associatedwith the payment instrument, patron's name, patron's financial account,and patron's PIN to a secured banking network server from the securedfirst computing device. Next, sending the received request from thesecured banking network server to a financial server of the patron'sfinancial account. Next, confirming access to the financial applicationvia the secured first computing device to the electronic transactionterminal by the financial server and presenting available electronictransactions to the patron via the patron user interface. Next,selecting a desired electronic transaction by the patron and enteringelectronic transaction details in patron user interface fields. Next,sending desired electronic transaction details to the financial servervia the secured first computing device. Next, processing the selecteddesired electronic transaction by the financial server and sendingelectronic transaction confirmation to the secured first computingdevice. Next, sending electronic transaction confirmation from thesecured first computing device to the electronic transaction terminaland to a secured second computing device. Next, applying the electronicfunds from the secured first computing device to a credit system andcrediting a specific gaming device, printing a ticket, or providingother electronic physical indicia of credit by the credit system.Finally, receiving credits by the patron directly from the credit systemor indirectly via authorization from the credit system issued to gamingor amusement personnel, such as a dealer, to dispense credits to thepatron and using the credits by the patron in the gaming or amusementenvironment gaming device or cashing them out.

In one embodiment, patron funds retrieved via the electronic transactionsystem in a gaming environment may be applied for other uses at theconclusion of the patron's gaming activity. When the patron elects toreceive a TITO ticket or other printed voucher upon cash out ofremaining game play credits purchased via electronic transaction and/orwon during game play, that ticket or voucher may be redeemed for cash atany kiosk, cashier, or other facility provided by the casino operatorfor that purpose. Similarly, other tangible credit indicia such ascasino chips as well as physical data storage media containingelectronic credit information including smart cards, secure electronicmemories, optical media, and the like may be redeemed for cash via theappropriate device(s) or systems within the gaming environment.

In one embodiment where the patron does not wish to convert game playcredits into cash, the monetary-equivalent value of any remaining gameplay credits may be transferred from physical or electronic form anddeposited in a player's hospitality or loyalty card account in the nameof the patron and maintained by the casino operator. As described above,most casino operators offer player's hospitality or loyalty cardaccounts to both encourage patrons to return and to improve theirability to market their facility to patrons. At the patron's direction,any game play credits remaining from previous electronic transactionactivity, as well as any additional game play credit won by the patron,may be transferred to a player's hospitality or loyalty card account. Ingaming environments, game play credit is typically denominated indollars and cents rather than in a number of individual plays as may bemore common in amusement environments. As such, the value of remaininggame play credit in gaming environments is independent of any prioractivity and may be easily converted to a monetary-equivalent amount tobe deposited into the patron's player's hospitality or loyalty cardaccount for future use. The transfer of these credits may beaccomplished at the patron's request entirely within the casinooperator's own accounting system without any participation by orinvolvement with third parties, including the patron's financialinstitution. Once transferred, the funds would become available for thepatron's use for any permissible purpose at the casino operator'sfacility. Balances in most player's hospitality or loyalty card accountsare accepted for purchase of gaming credits as well as dining,entertainment, purchases at affiliated businesses on or near theproperty or at other co-owned or co-managed properties, and the like.However, their use is restricted to those businesses and purposespermitted by the casino operator and may be further limited by gamingregulations and/or the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”).

In one embodiment, the equivalent monetary value of a patron's remaininggame play credit purchased via the electronic transaction system and/orwon by the patron during game play activity may be transferred fromphysical indicia or electronic form to a debit card account. Such debitcard account may be linked to a MasterCard debit card, Visa debit card,chip-and PIN (EMV) card, or any other debit card issued by the casinooperator or a third party debit card issuer/processor on behalf of thecasino operator. The balance transferred to said debit card would beavailable for use by the patron at any establishment that accepts suchcards. Further, such debit cards may be recognized by the casinooperator as the equivalent of a the player's hospitality or loyalty cardfor the purposes of determining the gaming, dining, and purchasingpreferences of the patron in order to improve the casino operator'sability to market its programs and services to patrons. The availabilityof universally-accepted debit cards in lieu of more restrictive player'shospitality or loyalty card accounts may encourage more patrons toenroll in such programs to the advantage of both patrons and casinooperators.

In one embodiment, the monetary-equivalent value of a patron's remaininggame play credit purchased via the electronic transaction system and/orwon by the patron during game play activity may be transferred at hisdirection from physical indicia or electronic form back to the patron'saccount at the financial institution from which the original transactionoriginated via a standard payment reversal process available within theparticular financial network applicable to such electronic transactions.In one embodiment, the entire remaining game play credit balance isreturned in this manner. In one embodiment, an amount of remaining gameplay credit equal to the amount of the original electronic transactionis returned in this manner. In one embodiment, an amount of remaininggame play credit less than the amount of the original electronictransaction is returned in this manner.

In one embodiment, the monetary-equivalent value of a patron's remaininggame play credit purchased via the electronic transaction system and/orwon by the patron during game play activity may be transferred fromphysical indicia or electronic form back to the patron's account at thefinancial institution from which the original transaction originated viaan EFT-based direct deposit. In this embodiment, the patron wouldprovide the account information to the casino operator necessary toeffect the direct deposit of funds to his account. In one embodiment,the patron's remaining game play funds could be deposited via EFT directdeposit at his direction into a different financial institution accountthan the account from which the funds originated. In one embodiment, thepatron may direct that portions of the remaining monetary-equivalentvalue of game play credits be directly deposited in different financialinstitution accounts. The casino operator would be responsible forinitiating this direct deposit and such EFT transaction would becompletely independent of, and unrelated to, the initial electronictransaction initiated by the patron to purchase game play credits.

In one embodiment, the monetary-equivalent value of a patron's remaininggame play credit purchased via the electronic transaction system and/orwon by the patron during game play activity may be transferred fromphysical indicia or electronic form to any account managed oradministered by a non-financial institution third party service. Suchnon-financial institution third party services may include, but are notlimited to PayPal, Amazon Payments, Google Wallet, WePay, Skrill,ProPay, and the like. Any non-financial institution third party servicethat is capable of accepting a deposit and maintaining a balance onbehalf of the authorizing patron is envisioned by this embodiment.

In one embodiment, portions of the monetary-equivalent value of apatron's remaining game play credit purchased via the electronictransaction system and/or won by the patron during game play activitymay be transferred from physical indicia or electronic form to more thanone of the accounts including a player's hospitality or loyalty cardaccount, a debit card account, the patron's original account from whichthe electronic transaction originated via reversal, the patron'soriginal account from which the electronic transaction originated viadirect deposit, any other account to which the patron directs via directdeposit, or any account managed or administered by a third partynon-financial institution.

In one embodiment, portions of the monetary-equivalent value of apatron's remaining game play credit purchased via the electronictransaction system and/or won by the patron during game play activitymay be transferred from physical indicia or electronic form to more thanone of the accounts based on any restrictions imposed on such transfersby gaming regulations. For example, certain gaming jurisdictions mayprohibit the conversion of game play credits awarded during game playbonusing or promotional events into monetary equivalents. Under suchconditions, only those game play credits purchased or won in compliancewith jurisdictional gaming requirements may be transferred to accountsas allowed by said requirements. Any game play credits not eligible forconversion to monetary-equivalent form and transfer to certain accountsmay only be transferred to other accounts or forms as permitted byapplicable gaming regulations. In most cases, any game play credits noteligible for conversion to monetary-equivalent form may usually beretained by the patron in his player's hospitality or loyalty cardaccount for future play at that property.

Implementations of these and other embodiments of the invention mayinclude one or more of the features described in detail below andelsewhere herein.

The gaming environment may comprise, but is not necessarily limited to,a casino, betting parlor, card room, video lottery establishment, racebook, race track, racino, off-track betting facility, or any facility orproperty which comprises, in whole or in part, any of the abovefacilities or any activity in which a patron may place a wager on theoutcome of an event with the possibility that said outcome may provide areturn to the patron of cash or a monetary-equivalent in an amountgreater than that of the original wager.

In contrast, an amusement environment comprises any location or facilityat which one or more games, either electronic or non-electronic, areavailable for play upon receipt of game play credit by a patron.Amusement games are distinguished from wagering games in that unlikewagering games, use of an amusement game credit does not represent awager upon which a cash or a monetary-equivalent return may be providedto a patron based on the outcome of the game. Participants in amusementgames may instead receive additional game play credits or non-cashawards, such as prizes or merchandise, based on game outcomes. A furtherdistinction between gaming environments and amusement activities is thatgaming activities are highly regulated and permitted only in certainjurisdictions while amusement games, due to their lack of monetaryremuneration for patrons, are not subject to the same high degree ofregulation, supervision, and enforcement.

The credit system may comprise a gaming device, a device not classifiedas a gaming device, a computing device or system, a cash dispenser, acoin hopper, a ticket printer, a card writer, a chip dispenser, a smartcard writer, a secure memory writer, a optical media writer, any otherdevice or system capable of conveying electronic game play credit to agaming device, system, or point of other wagering activity, or it may beany other device or system capable of dispensing intangible or tangibleand durable physical indicia of game play credit to a patron orauthorized gaming or amusement personnel on his behalf. The creditsystem may comprise one or more means of connection to or communicationwith an external device or system configured to dispense physicalindicia of game play credit to a patron.

The payment instrument may be a payment card, a smart card, a magneticcard, a contactless card, a smartphone, a proximity card, or the like.The payment card may comprise a Visa card, a MasterCard, a chip-and-PIN(EMV) card, an American Express (Amex) card, a Discover card, an ATMcard, a prepaid debit card, or the like.

In one embodiment suitable for a table game, the credit system providesan immediate “system redeemed” voucher directly to the dealer or otherauthorized gaming or amusement personnel instead of providing aconventional ticket to the patron for conversion into gaming chips. Upongeneration of the system redeemed voucher, the dealer or otherauthorized gaming or amusement personnel dispenses the authorized valueof gaming chips to the patron and retains the system redeemed voucherfor accounting reconciliation purposes. Similarly, in one embodiment,electronic or physical indicia of credit may also be provided to otherauthorized gaming or amusement personnel for disposition on the patron'sbehalf at his direction.

Electronic game play credit provided to a patron may be credit appliedto a local or remote gaming device, system, or any other wageringactivity, credit on a local or remote electronic amusement game, creditto a patron's player card or account, and/or credit to a debit card ordebit card account issued by the casino operator or issued on behalf ofthe casino operator by a third party. The system may further compriseone or more networked or non-networked gaming device(s), system(s), orother wagering activity or activities configured to receive theelectronic game play credit for use thereon.

The physical indicia of game play credit may be cash, coins, chips, TITOor other tickets, vouchers, other media containing bar codes, QR codes,or other optical data storage indicia, punch cards, gaming chips, smartcards, secure memory devices, high-capacity optical storage media, orany other tangible and durable form of secure information storagecapable of later redemption by the patron. The system may furthercomprise one or more networked or non-networked gaming device(s),system(s), or other wagering activity or activities configured toreceive the physical indicia of game play credit for redemption and usethereon.

The gaming device, system, or other activity within a gaming environmentmay be a slot machine, video poker machine, kiosk, video lotteryterminal, other electronic gaming machine, or any other activity inwhich an electronic transaction terminal may be suitable for use in agaming environment proximate to a location where gaming activity mayoccur, including, but not limited to poker, 21 (blackjack), baccarat,roulette, craps, pai gow, sic bo, keno, bingo or other bingo-based gamemethods, pan, faro, race and sports book wagering, pari-mutuel betting,and any other game(s) of chance or wagering activities associated withfinancial transactions.

The amusement device may be any unregulated game, activity, device, orsystem for which a credit must be applied before game play is allowedand that does not meet the definition of a wager-based gaming activitysimilar to those in which cash or monetary-equivalent benefit isprovided as a possible outcome of the game or activity.

The electronic transaction terminal may comprise any suitable electronicdevice including but not limited to a device designed specifically forthis purpose, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a personal digital assistant(PDA),a payment module, a portable computer, a personal computer, aserver, or any other suitable electronic circuit. The electronictransaction terminal may comprise a payment card industry (PCI) and PINentry device (PED) certified device or a chip-and-PIN (EMV) certifieddevice and may comprise any device, system, component, firmware, orsoftware certified or approved for use in electronic transactions by anyjurisdiction or other authority as may be necessary or desirable. Theelectronic transaction terminal may comprise a central processing unit(“CPU”), one or more static or random access memories, and one or moreports to permit connection of one or more external memory or datastorage devices. The electronic transaction terminal may furthercomprise a point-of-sale (POS) personal identification number (PIN)entry keypad and one or more displays or display devices. The electronictransaction terminal may comprise a card reader suitable for readingcards including payment cards, player's club cards, or the like and maybe a smart card reader, a magnetic card reader, an RFID reader, achip-and-PIN (EMV) card reader, a high-capacity optical storage mediareader, a bar code, QR code, or other optical data storage reader, apunch card reader, a contactless card reader, proximity mobile paymentsreader that enables communication with smart phone devices, acontactless proximity card reader that processes secure smart ticketingand electronic payments using contactless secure mobile commercetechnology, or any other device or system which retrieves informationstored on or in a payment card or its functional equivalent. Theelectronic transaction terminal may comprise one or more networkconnectivity modules for communication using wired, wireless, near-fieldcommunications (NFC), other electromagnetic, fiber optic, other optical,or other communication means and/or protocols, including but not limitedto Bluetooth, infrared, optical, radio frequency, GPRS, and satellite.Said network communication modules may include one or more ports enabledand associated with the network communication modules. Networkconnectivity may be achieved by the electronic transaction terminal viaany one or combination of several communication modules andcommunication modes based on operational situations. For example, by wayof illustration and not limitation, the electronic transaction terminalmay communicate via a wired network using the appropriate wiredcommunication module while the electronic transaction terminal is placedin a wired connectivity cradle equipped with access to a wired networkand the appropriate connector(s) to operatively communicate with a wiredcommunication module port. When the electronic transaction terminal isremoved from the wired connectivity cradle, the electronic transactionterminal may be switched from a wired communication mode to a wirelesscommunication mode via activation and deactivation of the appropriatecommunication modules. The switch from wired to wireless communicationmode may be performed automatically by software or firmware running onthe electronic transaction terminal or performed manually at thedirection of a user. Similarly, the electronic transaction terminal mayautomatically select or be manually instructed to utilize one of severalavailable communication modules and modes to use based on operationalfactors such as, but not limited to, availability of service, signalstrength, security considerations, available bandwidth, linkreliability, and the like by activating desired communication module(s)and deactivating others. The electronic transaction terminal wiredconnectivity cradle may also comprise a wireless access port operativelyconnected to the wired network and accessible by a wirelesscommunication module in one or more electronic transaction terminals ,thereby providing a localized point of network access for one or moreelectronic transaction terminal(s) in a gaming environment within whichthe electromagnetic spectrum may be highly congested and radio frequencyinterference is prevalent. The electronic transaction terminal maycomprise a printer and/or a printer port for connection of an externalprinter or a plurality of printers connected to a plurality of gamingdevices via wired, wireless, or other communication means. Theelectronic transaction terminal may be powered by alternating current,direct current, battery, stored charge, solar, or any other known powersource available at the point of use. Electronic transaction terminalspowered by stored energy sources may be periodically recharged fromother power sources, including but not limited to charging a storedenergy source when the electronic transaction terminal is placed in aspecial cradle that may provide wired network connectivity as describedabove in addition to power charging capability.

The electronic transaction terminal may comprise secure mobileapplications and one or more electronic transaction applications. Theelectronic transaction terminal comprises a communication device uponelectronic transaction instructions to the patron's financialinstitution include, but are not limited to, use of communicationprotocols over a secured wireless data network or secured wired datanetwork, near field communication protocols and methods, or opticalcommunication protocols and methods. One of the electronic transactionapplications may be a user interface application and the user interfaceapplication may include one or more fields including, but not limitedto, identification of a) the credit system that will issue or authorizethe issuance of gaming or amusement credits, b) information regardingthe patron's financial institution and his account therewith, c) theappropriate secured banking network by which to communicate with thepatron's financial institution, d) the type of transaction, e) theamount of the electronic transaction, f) the date and time, g) the nameof host system, h) the name of the patron, and i) any other informationrequired to successfully complete the transaction. The system mayfurther include a plurality of electronic transaction terminalsassociated with one or more gaming device(s) or system(s), playerstation(s), or other locations within the gaming environment oramusement environment.

The secured second computing device comprises a database with encrypteddata, a communication interface to the secured first computing device,an operator management application, and at least one electronic firewallbetween the secured second computing device and the secured firstcomputing device. The database includes encrypted data for eachelectronic transaction and the encrypted data comprise at least one ofthe electronic transaction terminal ID, transaction ID, gaming deviceID, credit system ID, patron's name, host system's name, transactionvalue, date, and time.

The secured first computing device connects to the secured bankingnetwork via a single, secure, access controlled connection. Theconnection is access controlled by an application privilege protocol andsecured by an application security protocol and the applicationprivilege protocol is managed by the secured first computing device andcomprises a first table associating Global Unique Identifiers (GUIDs) ofelectronic transaction applications, secured banking networks, andpatron financial accounts available to the electronic transactionterminal. The application security protocol comprises one of secureHypertext Transfer Protocol HTTP Secure-Hypertext Transfer Protocol(S-HTTP), link encryption or web services security (WS-S). The secureclient-side application comprises an application user interface. Theelectronic transaction terminal requests functionality from the securedfirst computing device via one of Extensible Mark-up Language (XML)messages embedded in Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) requests,Action Script Message Format (AMF), or Secure Mobile ApplicationPlatform (SMAP).

The Secured banking network may be one of PLUS, STAR, STAR Preferred,CIRRUS, INTERLINK, MONEY PASS, NYCE, Jeanie, Jeanie Preferred,Interlink, Interlink Business, PAVD, PAVD Business, Alaska Option, ArmedForces Financial Network, NetWorks, Pulse, Pulse Preferred, PulseLimited, Shazam, Maestro, Credit Union 24, ACCEL, ACCEL Preferred, NYCEPreferred, or ATH Network or any similar financial network which mayprovide access to a financial institution or service at which the patronhas an account suitable for use in electronic transactions.

In one embodiment, a cooperative system such as a casino managementsystem (“CMS”), host system, or other inter- or intra-facility systemmay be deployed by operator of the facility and communicativelyconnected to the electronic transaction system. Said cooperative systemmay be an existing CMS present within the gaming environment, anothernetworked system used for purposes related or unrelated to theoperation, accounting, or management of gaming devices or otherequipment within the gaming environment, a communication system reservedsolely to the operation of the electronic transaction system, or anyother means of electronic data exchange. The network may employ anyknown means of electronic communication, including but not limited towired, wireless, near-field communications (NFC), other electromagnetic,fiber optic, other optical, or other communication means and/orprotocols, including but not limited to Bluetooth, infrared, optical,radio frequency, GPRS, and satellite. The host network may also employany or all known means of electronic security measures to insure thecomplete integrity and security of all data transmitted thereon.

In one embodiment, the electronic transaction system operates whollyindependent of any other cooperative system such as a casino managementsystem, host system, or other inter- or intra-facility system.

This invention provides numerous improvements and advantages over thepresent art. It provides an immediate service that permits patrons toefficiently retrieve funds for gaming and amusement activities at theirconvenience. The electronic transaction system incorporates secureticketing and banking networks to protect the integrity and privacy ofpatrons. Further, the system is designed to maintain full security ofthe patron's financial and personal identification data by notunnecessarily routing said data through the casino operator's system.The outbound banking and electronic transaction-specific data issecurely routed directly to the appropriate financial network via thesecured first computing device so that any possible breach of securityinvolving a cooperative system could not possibly compromise said data.Patrons are assured that their transaction data is handled in exactlythe same manner as at any other secure transaction terminal or automaticteller machine. Further, by not requiring the patron to suspend gamingactivity to access a cash machine at another location, he is much morelikely to continue his gaming activity to the benefit of both thepatron's enjoyment and the casino operator's revenue. In addition, theinvention provides a method of electronically transferring funds to thepatron's other accounts or debit instruments at the conclusion of hisgaming activity for subsequent uses in gaming or non-gaming activities.Yet another advantage of the present invention that it provide thecapability to provide a transaction receipt to the patron, identical tothat provided in any other POS or ATM transaction, so that the patronmay have a durable record as evidence of the electronic transaction.This has the added advantage of meeting regulatory requirements forapproval in gaming environments. In another embodiment, an electronictransaction receipt may be provided to the patron via e-mail to ane-mail address associated with the patron, via SMS message, via faxtransmission, or via any other electronic method in addition to or inlieu of a printed receipt generated at the point of the transaction. Thesystem's intrinsic ability to provide one or more form(s) of atransaction receipt solves a known problem in the present art andrepresents a considerable improvement thereupon, but that functionalityis incidental, and not essential, to the operation of the system. In oneembodiment where providing a transaction receipt to a patron isexpressly not desired and not required, the system may be easilyconfigured in a manner so as not to generate or provide any suchreceipt. Such configuration does not affect any other operation orfunctionality of the system.

A principal advantage of this invention over the present art is theenhanced security it provides. The use of a secured first computingdevice provides the most secure and efficient handling of sensitivefinancial transactions possible. The electronic transaction terminalsused by patrons to initiate electronic transactions connects exclusivelyto the secured first computing device using the highest grade ofencryption and most secure communication methods and protocolsavailable. Only authorized electronic transaction terminals may connectto the secured first computing device to initiate such financialtransactions. The secured first computing device also employs thehighest grade of encryption and most secure security protocols availableto communicate with patrons' financial institutions via high securityindustry-standard secured banking networks. When transaction results arereceived by the secured first computing device via the secured bankingnetwork, such data is routed to a separate and equally secure securedsecond computing device for recordation and reconciliation purposes. Themonetary-equivalent indicia of game play credit is not returned to theelectronic transaction terminal at which the transaction originated, buta printed receipt is provided to the patron by that terminal or gamingdevice at the patron's location as evidence of the results of theelectronic transaction. The secured second computing device alsoprovides full accounting for all electronic transaction activity withinthe entire system. This topology provides a highly reliable and securesystem by which patrons in gaming environments and amusementenvironments may conveniently and efficiently retrieve funds fromfinancial accounts for their participation in game play activities andother purposes.

Yet another principal advantage of this invention over the present artis the system's ability to function in conjunction with, orindependently from, any mechanical, electrical, or electromechanicaldevice defined as a “gaming device” by regulatory authorities or used insupport thereof. One considerable advantage of the system is its abilityto utilize components and systems of gaming devices already present in agaming environment, including but not limited to ticket readers andprinters, card readers and printers, networking systems, and the like.However, the invention may operate wholly independent of any such gamingdevices and/or systems if so desired. This is particularly relevant tothe play of table games conducted by live dealers or other authorizedgaming or amusement personnel within which no gaming device(s) asdefined by regulatory authorities are utilized. In one embodiment, thesystem provides patrons with the availability of electronic transactionterminals at one or more points of wagering activity other than thoseassociated with defined gaming devices.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Without limiting the invention to the features and embodiments depicted,certain aspects this disclosure, including the preferred embodiment, aredescribed in association with the appended figures.

FIG. 1 is an overview diagram of the electronic transaction system;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the secured second computing device of FIG.1;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the electronic transaction terminal of FIG.1;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the electronic transaction terminal and thesecured first computing device; and

FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 depict the flow diagram of the electronic transactionprocess.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to systems and methods for electronictransaction systems in gaming environments and amusement environments,and in particular to electronic transactions for use in the purchase ofcredits for table-based casino gaming activities.

The electronic transaction system includes a secure electronictransaction terminal with PIN (Personal Identification Number) pad thatmay be a Payment Card Industry (“PCI”) PIN Entry Device (“PED”)certified device along with a magnetic stripe and smart card reader anda display. The electronic transaction terminal may also be or achip-and-PIN (EMV) certified device suitable for use with chip-and-PIN(EMV) cards. The electronic transaction terminal allows the patron toobtain monetary equivalents without having to leave and find a ATMmachine. The electronic transaction terminal device may be an externalattachment to the gaming or amusement device or embedded in the gamingor amusement device. Each electronic transaction terminal is associatedwith a specific gaming or amusement device or a gaming patron'slocation. The process of purchasing credits is similar to that of anyother point-of-sale (“POS”) process.

When the patron swipes his payment card, enters a PIN and requests aspecific amount to be debited from his account, the electronictransaction terminal initiates a secured request via the secured firstcomputing device through the electronic transaction system to afinancial network for approval or denial. The amount of the transactionmay include the amount of gaming or amusement credits to be purchasedplus any fees associated with the transaction. If the transactionrequest is approved, the electronic transaction system providesauthorized monetary value credits to be dispensed to the patron via acredit system. The system directs the credit system to dispense asuitable form of credit, in physical or electronic form, to or on behalfof the player. In one embodiment, the system may initiate and cause aticket to be printed in the authorized amount at the specific locationand utilizing hardware in the gaming environment associated with theelectronic transaction terminal that originated the transaction.Alternatively, system may direct a cooperative system to update thepatron's loyalty/prepaid debit card account with the authorized funds.The patron can then use the card or ticket on a variety of gaming oramusement devices to receive game credits or redeem the card or ticketfor cash through the authorized gaming or amusement device system.

In one embodiment particularly suitable for live table games, the ticketprinted by the electronic transaction system in response to a successfulelectronic transaction is an immediate system redeemed voucher that isprovided directly to the dealer or other authorized gaming or amusementpersonnel instead of to the patron as would occur at an EGM. The patronwould still receive a durable printed receipt for the transaction fromthe electronic transaction terminal as evidence of the successfultransaction, but the physical indicia of credit provided by the creditsystem in the form of the printed system redeemed voucher is retrievedfrom the credit system by the dealer or other authorized gaming oramusement personnel who then provides the patron with the equivalentmonetary value in some preferred physical indicia, such as but notlimited to gaming chips. The system redeemed voucher is then retained inthe table's cash box for accounting and reconciliation of the gamingchip purchase transactions at that table. The system redeemed voucherhas value only as (1) instructions to the dealer or other authorizedgaming or amusement personnel to disburse gaming chips or other suitableform to the patron, and (2) as tangible evidence that such disbursementwas made at the gaming table for accounting and reconciliation purposes.The dealer or other authorized gaming or amusement personnel who receivethe system redeemed voucher from the credit system do not perform anyfurther action to redeem the system redeemed voucher. Unlike ticketsdispensed by the credit system directly to a patron that may be redeemedin a variety of ways as described elsewhere herein, the system redeemedvoucher has no inherent monetary value itself and is therefore notconvertible into cash, credits, or other monetary value in the samemanner as any other gaming ticket would be. As an instrument that isevidence of a transaction that has already been redeemed by the system,it is not a negotiable instrument and therefore does not represent afuture payment liability to the operator of the casino.

A cooperative card and/or ticket validation system may be connected toor in communication with a card and/or ticket validation network. Thecard and/or ticket validation system includes a card and/or ticketvalidation server and operator interfaces, to enable the operators toredeem card credits and/or tickets as well as to monitor card and/orticketing transactions. The card and/or ticket validation networkenables a plurality of gaming or amusement device processors in the samecasino or property establishment to communicate with the same cardand/or ticket validation system.

In one embodiment, a ticket reader uses software for reading the barcodeof a ticket provided by the electronic transaction system, and afterreading the barcode, the ticket reader passes the barcode information tothe processor of an associated gaming or amusement device. The gaming oramusement device then forwards the barcode information to the ticketvalidation system via the ticket validation network to verify itsauthenticity. After verifying the authenticity, the ticket validationsystem presents an authorization to the gaming or amusement device forthe ticket amount, via the ticket validation network, and the gamingdevice in turn adds credits to its credit meter in the amount authorizedby the ticket validation system. Finally, the gaming or amusement deviceinstructs the ticket reader to retain the used ticket internally so thatit is not returned to the presenter.

The processor of the gaming or amusement device may still be connectedto or in communication with the ticket reader/validator and isresponsible for verifying validity of the ticket. The electronictransaction system communicates a request to the cooperative card and/orticket system which after authorization of the transaction, providescredits associated to the card or prints a ticket with a barcode fromthe gaming or amusement device.

The ticket validation network is thus preferably a local area network.This local area network, in turn, is connected to or is in communicationwith a secured first computing device that validates electronictransaction requests. The gaming devices may also be equipped withelectronic transaction terminals that control a card reader, a securePCI certified PIN Pad and a display for enabling a patron to enter thepatron's account number, transaction type (i.e., credit or debit),desired transaction amount and personal identification number (PIN). Thedisplay prompts the patron for such information and informs the patronof transaction request approvals and rejections. A printer may beattached to print out a receipt for evidence of the transaction.

One embodiment of the present invention enables the patron to enter therequired transaction information which may include the PIN number,transaction type, and the transaction amount. The request is processedand, if approved, the patron receives a monetary-equivalent ticket inthe amount of the requested transaction or the gaming device is creditedwith the approved amount. This effectively replicates every step in aconventional POS transaction except that the physical indicia is amonetary-equivalent ticket or credits applied to a specific gamingdevice instead of cash or other tangible item. The monetary-equivalentticket is redeemable for cash through a ticket redemption machine,cashier station or kiosk, or for placing credits into a gaming oramusement device that has a card and/or ticket reader. The presentinvention therefore provides time for the patron to confirm the patron'sdecision to withdraw the money. The patron can choose to not spend themoney, to wager the money or to spend it in a non-gaming fashion.

The patron can also remove money from their payment card account on onemachine with the idea of playing the money or credit/ticket at anothermachine. This enables machines that accept player's hospitality orloyalty cards or tickets, but not payment cards, to be utilized withfunds from a payment card transaction. Further, by communicating througha cooperative gaming or amusement device host system to the printer thatalready exists in a gaming or amusement device, the cost of a separateticket printer may be eliminated. Having one printer instead of tworeduces the number of printer rolls that the gaming establishments haveto stock and reload.

In operation, the patron initiates a request to electronically accessfunds in his financial account by inserting a payment card into aspecific electronic transaction terminal associated with a specificgaming device or patron location at a gaming table, selects the paymenttransaction type and account by which it is withdrawing funds, acceptsany service charge fees associated with the transaction, and then entersa PIN number and an amount. The transaction request goes out through thenetwork which the electronic transaction terminal is connected to(wireless or wired), to the secured first computing device of theelectronic transaction system, which transmits the request through thesecured banking network to process the transaction request, whichreturns an appropriate response over the financial network back to thesecured first computing device, which routes a specific response backthrough the appropriate network to the specific electronic transactionterminal assigned to a specific amusement or gaming device or location.

If the patron's transaction request is approved, the specific electronictransaction terminal will get a message such as “Transaction Approved,Please wait for TITO Ticket to be Printed” or the gaming device isautomatically credited with the approved amount requested. Theelectronic transaction terminal or gaming device may also print aseparate receipt for the patron as evidence of the successful ATMtransaction using a printer incorporated in the electronic transactionterminal and/or at the gaming device. Simultaneously, the secured firstcomputing device communicates to a secured second computing device tospecify which specific gaming or amusement device or patron location hasinitiated and successfully completed the electronic transaction. Thesecured first computing device then communicates with specific creditdevice, including but not limited to a gaming, amusement device, orother printer directly or via a cooperative EGM, table, or amusementhost system to print a ticket representing the monetary value of theelectronic transaction. Said ticket may be used with any gaming devicethat will accept such a ticket. The patron can alternatively redeem theticket for cash, or request a ticket for the credits. In one embodiment,the electronic transaction system may provide a system redeemed voucherto a dealer or other authorized gaming or amusement personnel directingthem to provide casino chips or other physical indicia of credit to thepatron.

If the patron's transaction request is denied for whatever reason, thesecured first computing device of the electronic transaction system willsimply send a denial message back to the electronic transaction terminaland request either a different PIN or payment card, or for the patron tocancel and exit the transaction.

In lieu of printing a monetary-equivalent ticket, game play credit inthe amount of the successful electronic transaction may be applieddirectly to the EGM or other gaming device, thereby eliminating the stepof printing and reinserting the ticket into the machine to redeem gameplay credits. The patron can simply continue playing with the new creditreceived, or he can hit the “Cash out” button for the printer to printthe ticket, or transfer the funds directly back to the patron'soriginating financial account or other account at his direction.

As an alternative to printing tickets, the monetary-equivalent value ofthe electronic transaction may be transferred by the electronictransaction system from the patron's financial account into his player'shospitality or loyalty card account. The payment card associated withsuch financial account may be used with the electronic transactionsystem to purchase credits for use with a gaming or amusement device andlater to cash out any remaining credits back to the player's hospitalityor loyalty card account. The player's hospitality or loyalty cardaccounts may be both promotional in nature and capable of a stored valuefeature, thereby enabling the patron to use monetary-equivalent gameplay credits elsewhere in the casino operator's facility for dining,entertainment, shopping, and the like. These player's hospitality orloyalty card accounts are normally limited to use in the casinooperator's co-owned or co-managed facilities and are not acceptedelsewhere.

In order to permit wider use of unused game play credit by patrons, inone embodiment said credits may be transferred to a debit card accountlinked to and accessible by either the Visa or Master Card networks.Such cards could be issued by the casino operator or, alternatively,issued by a third party card issuer and servicing company on behalf ofand in the name of the casino operator. With this embodiment, the patronwould be enabled to spend the unused game play credits at anyestablishment that accepts such debit cards. In one embodiment, theinvention allows functions normally associated with player's hospitalityor loyalty card accounts to be coupled to such prepaid debit card. Byallowing a transfer of funds from one's financial account to a debitcard with the customer tracking and research functionality of player'shospitality or loyalty card, the casino operator would be able toprovide additional offers and incentives based on patrons' use of theirdebit cards, such as the awarding of loyalty points for certainpurchases, while deriving additional information about the spendinghabits and product preferences of its patrons.

Referring to FIG. 1, an electronic transaction system 100 includesgaming devices 101, 102, 103, credit systems 105 a, 105 b, 105 c, acooperative gaming host system 140, electronic transaction terminals110, a secured first computing device 120 and a secured second computingdevice 130. Cooperative host system 140, which in some embodiments maybe a property-wide casino management system and in other embodiments maybe a direct wired or wireless connection, a simple data communicationlink, or a local network, is connected to the credit systems 105 a, 105b, and 105 c. Each credit system 105 a, 105 b, 105 c may also beconnected to a printer 106, 107, 108, respectively, for printingtickets. Electronic transaction terminals 110 are placed in the samelocations as the gaming devices 101, 102, 103. Electronic transactionterminals 110 communicate with the secured banking networks 150 vianetwork connections of the secured first computing device. Allcommunications between the electronic transaction terminals 110 and thesecured banking networks 150 pass through the secured first computingdevice 120. The secured banking networks 150 provide connections to thepatron's financial accounts 151, 152, 153 from which the funds arewithdrawn. In one embodiment, the financial account is a bank account.In other embodiments, the financial accounts are online bank accounts,investment accounts, business accounts, credit lines, credit cardaccounts, debit card accounts, or accounts with non-financialinstitution third party services including but not limited to PayPalaccounts, among others. Examples of secured banking networks includePLUS, STAR, CIRRUS, INTERLINK, MONEY PASS, among others. An electronictransaction approval is communicated back to the secured first computingdevice 120 via the secured banking networks 150 and the secured firstcomputing device 120 may transmit transaction data to the secured secondcomputing device 130. The secured first computing device 120 thentransmits authorization to dispense indicia of credit to the appropriatecredit system 105 a-105 c designated by the patron.

Referring to FIG. 2, the ACS secured second computing device 130includes a database 135, firewalls 131, 139, interfaces 132, 134 and anoperator user application 137. Firewall 131 is located between thesecured second computing device 130 and the secured first computingdevice 120. Firewall 139 is located between the secured second computingdevice 130 and the gaming host system 140. Interface 132 is forcommunications between the secured second computing device 130 and thesecured first computing device 120. Interface 134 is for communicationsbetween the secured second computing device 130 and the gaming hostsystem 140. Database 135 includes encrypted data for each transaction133. The transaction data include a transaction ID, a credit system ID,a gaming device ID, patron's name, transaction value, date and time.

Referring to FIG. 3, an electronic transaction terminal 110 includes adisplay 112, a keypad/PIN entry 114, a payment card reader 116,connectivity modules 118, a printer and/or printer ports 119, andelectronic transaction applications 115. The payment card reader may bea smart card reader, magnetic card reader, chip-and-PIN (EMV) cardreader, contactless card reader, proximity mobile payments reader thatenables communication with smart phone devices, or contactless proximitycard reader that processes secure smart ticketing and electronicpayments using contactless secure mobile commerce technology. Electronictransaction applications 115 include applications that identify thecredit system and gaming device associated with the electronictransaction terminal, secured banking network, type of transaction,amount of the transaction, date, time and name of patron.

Referring to FIG. 1, one or more electronic transaction terminals 110may interact with the secured first computing device 120 via networkconnections 111. The secured first computing device 120 is in contactwith the patron's bank accounts 151, 152, 153, via the secured bankingnetworks 150. The secured banking networks 150 are connected to thesecured first computing device 120 via a single, secure, accesscontrolled connection 160.

Electronic transaction terminals 110 may be handheld remotecommunication devices on which the application user interface isexecuted. Examples of handheld communication devices include paymentterminals such as those manufactured and sold in North America byIngenico, Inc., of Alpharetta, Ga., mobile phones, personal digitalassistant (PDA), payment modules, and portable computers, among others.In other embodiments, electronic transaction terminals 110 arenot-handheld device and may be devices such as personal computers,servers, or any other computing circuits. Electronic transactionterminals suitable for use in gaming environments may also be table topdevices, external attachments to EGMs or other hardware, or embedded inan EGM, gaming device, or amusement device. Electronic transactionterminals 110 either may comprise a device classified as a “gamingdevice” or may not be classified, in whole or in part, as a gamingdevice as defined by any regulatory authority. Electronic transactionterminals may also include remote/mobile/handheld system components orterminals assigned to table games and parlor games. Table game-specifictethered processing terminals may include embedded swipe componentsfitted to seated game stations and card, dice, and roulette tables,patron locations at race and sports books, keno and bingo operations,and the like, or may be swipe components embedded into mobile handheldgames.

Secured first computing device 120 is a single, secure pipeline throughwhich the secured banking networks 150 and the electronic transactionterminals 110 communicate. Secured first computing device 120 either maycomprise a device classified as a “gaming device” or may not beclassified, in whole or in part, as a gaming device as defined by anyregulatory authority. Electronic transaction terminals 110 are able tocontact only secured first computing device 120 and secured firstcomputing device 120 controls the transfer of sensitive and proprietarydata between the secured banking networks 150 and electronic transactionterminals 110 during electronic transactions. This method requires andestablishes authentication of the electronic transaction terminals 110by the secured first computing device 120 and provides the necessaryencryption and secure transmission of network traffic to and fromelectronic transaction terminals 110.

Referring to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, electronic transaction terminal 110includes an operating system or managed code environment 1100 in whichapplication player 1110 is executed. The managed code environment 1100is in contact with device drivers 1200. Device drivers 1200 are anyhardware access layer modules that allow the player 1110 to accessperipheral devices such as card readers 116 or printers 119. Applicationplayer 1110 is in contact with browser configuration components 1400 andan offline application cache 1300 with its associated offlineapplication data 1310. The application player 1110 requestsfunctionality from the secured first computing device 120 through XMLmessages embedded in Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) requests andthen interprets the XML messages it receives embedded in SOAP responsesfrom the secured first computing device 120. The application player 1110has access to a local list of secured banking networks it is authorizedto request and relevant security keys and settings. The secured firstcomputing device 120 includes a server-side intermediary 3400 thatreceives the XML messages embedded in SOAP requests from the player 1110and sends to the player 1110 XML messages embedded in SOAP responses. Asmentioned above, the format of communications between the applicationplayer 1110 and the server-side intermediary 3400 is XML and thecommunication connection is via a SOAP interface 2100.

In one example, the managed code environment 1110 is a Small TechnicalInteroperability Platform Virtual Machine (STIP VM). Other examples ofthe managed code environment 1100 include Java 2 Platform Micro Edition(J2ME), .NET and Flash Lite, among others. Operating environment 1100provides a way for the player 1110 to access operating system resources.The managed code environment 1100 executes the application player 1110,which is in contact with browser configuration components 1400 and anoffline application cache 1300 with its associated offline applicationdata 1310. Offline application cache 1300 is a set of applications (XMLfiles) that this player instance has downloaded. Offline data cache 1310is the set of stored web service calls that each application has savedfor later execution on the application server host. These stored webservice calls enable the offline functionality. Browser ConfigurationComponents 1400 is a set of device-specific parameters that the player1110 and its applications use to tailor the patrons experience ofapplications. These configuration components are locally storedname-value pairs that can be managed both locally and remotely via theserver 3400. Examples of browser configuration parameters include,maximum size of the offline cache, auto-player-update on/off,auto-application-update on/off, and debug logging on/off, among others.

Referring again to FIG. 4, secured first computing device 120 includes aserver-side intermediary or gateway web service 3400 through which allcommunications to and from the electronic transaction terminals 110pass. The server-side intermediary 3400 has access to a database with atable that associates Global Unique Identifiers (GUIDs) with the remotesecured banking networks. The gateway web service 3400 comprises one ormore server-side machine(s) that act as intermediaries between theelectronic transaction terminals 110 and the application servers 4000which host the secured banking networks that provide bank account accessto the electronic transaction terminals 110. These one or moreserver-side machines include a load-balancing intermediary 3410, a SOAPmessage cache 3420, a policy intermediary 3430 and an entitlement module3440. The load-balancing intermediary 3410 is designed to facilitate thedemands of numerous electronic transaction terminals 110 simultaneouslyby dispatching requests evenly among the various server-side machinesthat comprise the secured first computing device 120. The SOAP MessageCache 3420 is a queue of SOAP messages to be executed by the serverwhose results will typically be passed back to an electronic transactionterminal 110. The policy intermediary 3430 ensures that only authorizedpatrons on authorized electronic transaction terminal can access therequested secured banking networks and bank accounts. The entitlementmodule 3440 controls the access that a request has to the resources itdesires. Fine grained web service access control is enabled by thisentitlement module.

The gateway web service 3400 is in communication with an applicationdatabase 3100, an application store and cache 3200, a management UI3300, an application registration service 3500, a remote call handler3600 and an API handler 3700. The application database 3100 includes aset of application XML files representing the currently availableapplications in the system. The application database 3100cross-references Globally Unique Identifiers (GUIDS) sent by the clientapplication player 1110 with the XML user interface of the requestedsecured banking network and bank account. The application store andcache 3200 is an interface into the application database 3100 thatconforms to the Universal Description Discovery and Integration (UDDI)discovery standards for machine readable service functionalitydiscovery. Management User Interface (UI) 3300 is a set of webapplication screens that allow data center administrators to control theuse of the system, for example, allowing or disallowing access to aparticular secured banking network, or promoting an application fromtest to production. The Application Registration Service 3500 is themodule that allows the developer to publish an application from theIntegrated Development Environment (IDE). The remote call handler 3600executes properly authenticated web service calls and the ApplicationProgram Interface (API) handler 3700 is an interface that externalservices 5000 (like payment processors) implement in order to beaccessed from within the system.

Secured first computing device 120 securely handles interaction betweenthe electronic transaction terminals 110 and the application servers4000 which host the secured banking network web services that provideaccess to the patron's financial accounts, and between the electronictransaction terminals 110 and any supporting applications 5000. All dataprocessing and other calculations and manipulations are executed bysecured banking network web services hosted on application servers 4000.The patron's experience on the electronic transaction terminal 110comprises only display of an XML user interface and subsequent displayof application results, also received in the form of XML.

Secured first computing device 120 provides a single, secure,access-controlled and actively managed channel from the applicationrunning on the electronic transaction terminal 110 to the (one or more)secured banking network web services. Since the player 1110 communicatesonly with the secured first computing device 120, applications runningon the electronic transaction terminal 110 cannot connect withunauthorized web applications and are therefore secure. The system issecure along all links via the use of industry standard link encryptionand access controlled at all interfaces via the use of industry-standarduser authentication. Link encryption refers to communications securityprotocols that encrypt and decrypt all traffic at each end of acommunications line. Examples of industry standard link encryptionsinclude secure HTTP (S-HTTP), web-services security (WS-S) and WaySystems Secure mobile application platform (WS-SMAP), among others. Userauthentication refers to the process of establishing or confirming thedigital identity of a user or device such as the electronic transactionterminal 110 or the servers 4000 and 5000. Examples of industry standarduser authentication include WS-S, lightweight directory access protocol(LDAP) and proprietary device authentication, among others.

Secured first computing device 120 provides fine-grained access controlover web service (WS) access organized by remote-user and remote-devicethat spans multiple WS hosts and organizations and requires noinstrumentation of the individual web services. As was mentioned above,the secured first computing device 120 maintains access-control liststhat relate patrons and electronic transaction terminals 110 toindividual secured banking network web services and provide for grantingand denying access by those patrons to those services. These listscontain the unique combination of GUIDS and the identity of remotesecured banking network web services available to the electronictransaction terminals 110.

A key feature of application security best-practice is the concept ofnon-repudiation. Non-repudiation is defined as the ability of acomponent to prove that a particular action of that component was drivenby an interaction with another component rather than by some invisible,internal process of that component. The key enabler of non-repudiationis auditing, the storage of a trail of actions and data that can easilybe used to reconstruct the interactions of the components of the system.The secured first computing device 120 provides a complete audit trailof the interaction of secured banking network web services with theremote electronic transaction terminals 110, thus ensuringnon-repudiation. This audit trail identifies the electronic transactionterminal 110, the patron, and the details of the underlying remoteconnection to the device. In one embodiment, fine-grained access controland auditing enable the secured first computing device 120 to billpatrons at an equally fine-grained level. This enables tiered service byenterprises implementing the system where patrons can be billed forindividual calls within a session rather than at the more coarse systemof billing for time spent within the application.

In operation, a patron starts the application player 1110 on theelectronic transaction terminal 110. The application player 1110consults first the offline application cache 1300 and presents a list ofthose applications which this electronic transaction terminal 110 andpatron are authorized to execute. Referring to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, if theelectronic transaction terminal 110 and the secured first computingdevice 120 are both actively connected to the network, the processincludes the following steps. First, a patron slides a payment card inthe electronic transaction terminal (401). This action starts anapplication player (AP) in the electronic transaction terminal and theAP sends a SOAP request to the secured first computing device 120 toconnect with the secured banking network of the account associated withthe payment card (402). The secured first computing device 120 checks adatabase and if this is an acceptable payment card, it sends a SOAPresponse to the electronic transaction terminal 110 containing the userinterface (UI) of the account associated with the payment card (403).The UI requests the patron's PIN, the patron enters PIN and theinformation is sent to the secured first computing device 120 (404).Next, the secured first computing device 120 sends to the securedbanking network server a request containing a GUID for the accountassociated with the payment card, the patron's account information, andthe patron's PIN (405). The secured banking network server forwards thereceived information to the specified server (406) and the serverconfirms access to the secured first computing device 120 via thesecured banking network (407). The secured first computing device 120confirms access and the UI presents all available transactions (408).Examples of the available transactions include but are not limited tocredit purchase, withdrawal, deposit and balance inquiry, among others.The patron selects a desired transaction and enters the transactiondetails in the corresponding UI fields. The AP then sends a SOAP requestto secured first computing device 120 with the requested transaction(409). Typical transaction details include, amount, currency, gamingdevice, among others. The secured first computing device 120 receivesthe SOAP request, determines appropriate secured banking network serverfor the requested transaction and sends the request to the securedbanking network server (410). The secured banking network servertransmits the request to the appropriate server (411) and the serverprocesses the requested transaction, sends (or receives) the requestedfunds and a transaction confirmation to the secured first computingdevice 120 via the secured banking network (412). Next, the securedfirst computing device 120 sends the transaction confirmation to theelectronic transaction terminal 110 (413) and the transaction details tothe secured second computing device 130 (414). The secured firstcomputing device 120 transmits an authorization to dispense indicia ofcredit to the appropriate gaming ticket printer associated with thegaming device or patron location directly or via the cooperative hostsystem (415). In the latter embodiment, the cooperative host system thentransmits the authorization to a credit system 105 a, 105 b, or 105 cand associated ticket printer 106, 107, or 108, respectively, that areassociated with the originating electronic transaction terminal, and theprinter prints a ticket with the requested amount of game play credits(416). The patron receives the printed ticket with the credited fundsand uses it in the gaming device or cashes it out (417). In anembodiment suitable for a table game, the system provides an immediatesystem redeemed voucher that is provided directly to the dealer or otherauthorized gaming or amusement personnel for conversion into gamingchips in lieu of a conventional ticket being provided directly to thepatron.

A typical network connection between secured first computing device 120and the external web services is HTTPS/TCP/IP over the public Internet.Other examples of physical networks supported include, GSM, iDEN,D-AMPS, cdmaOne, PDC, CSD, PHS, GPRS, HSCSD, WiDEN, CDMA2000 1×RTT,EDGE, W-CDMA, UMTS, FOMA, CDMA2000 1xEV, TD-SCDMA, UMA, HSUPA, HSUPA,SONET, Ethernet, Ethernet V2, X.21, and ISDN among others.

Other implementations of the invention may replace the SOAP 2100 withAction Script Message Format (AMF) 2200 or SMAP 2300. SOAP interface2100 is one of the potential mechanisms by which the player and servercommunicate. Only one of 2100, 2200 or 2300 is used in any playerdeployment. SOAP is an object oriented Remote Procedure Call (RPC)formatted in XML. AMF 2200 is another communication protocol, currentlyfavored by Macromedia Flash. SMAP 2300 is a communication protocolproprietary to Way Systems that includes transport layer and applicationlayer functionality (i.e., authentication).

Several embodiments of the present invention have been described.Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may bemade without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope systems and methodstaught herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for purchasing gaming or amusementcredits comprising: (A) at least one gaming device, amusement device, orgaming or amusement activity; (B) at least one credit system configuredto dispense or authorize physical indicia of credits, said creditssuitable for use with the at least one gaming device, amusement device,or gaming or amusement activity; (C) a secured first computing device inelectronic communication with the at least one credit system; (D) anelectronic transaction terminal certified for use in an electronictransaction system (i) proximate to but separate from the at least onecredit system, (ii) in exclusive secured electronic communication withthe secured first computing device, (iii) configured to receiveelectronic transaction request instructions from the patron to accessfunds in a financial account to purchase gaming or amusement credits,and (iv) further configured to communicate said request instructions tothe secured first computing device; (E) the secured first computingdevice (i) in further secured electronic communication with a networkassociated with the financial account, (ii) further configured togenerate and communicate an electronic transaction request to thenetwork associated with the financial account, (iii) further configuredto receive a transaction approval via the network associated with thefinancial account, and (iv) further configured to cause the at least onecredit system to dispense a system redeemed voucher to a dealer or otherauthorized gaming or amusement personnel that authorizes issuance ofgaming or amusement credits to the patron for use with the at least onegaming device, amusement device, or gaming or amusement activity.
 2. Thesystem of claim 1 wherein all communications between the electronictransaction terminal and the network associated with the financialaccount pass through the secured first computing device.
 3. The systemof claim 1 wherein all communications between the secured firstcomputing device and the credit system are not accessible to theelectronic transaction terminal.
 4. The system of claim 2 wherein allcommunications between the secured first computing device and the creditsystem are not accessible to the electronic transaction terminal.
 5. Thesystem of claim 1 further comprising a secured second computing devicecomprising a database, said secured second computing device (i) separatefrom, but in secured electronic communication with, the secured firstcomputing device, (ii) configured to receive confirmation of thetransaction approval from the secured first computing device, and (iii)further configured to provide accounting and reconciliation of allelectronic transactions and of all authorizations to dispense gaming oramusement credits to patrons.
 6. The system of claim 1 wherein theelectronic transaction terminal is not configured to dispense credits toa patron.
 7. The system of claim 1 wherein the electronic transactionterminal further comprises at least one of any of a Payment CardIndustry (PCI) certified device, a PIN entry device (PED) certifieddevice, a chip-and-PIN (EMV) certified device, a point-of-sale (POS)personal identification number (PIN) entry keypad, a payment cardreader, a display, a network connectivity module, a printer, a printerport, a secure mobile application, a secure client-side application, anda secure electronic transaction application.
 8. The system of claim 7wherein the payment card reader comprises a smart card reader, amagnetic card reader, a chip-and-PIN (EMV) card reader, a contactlesscard reader, or a secure contactless proximity card reader.
 9. Thesystem of claim 1 wherein the secured first computing device is furtherconfigured to communicate confirmation or denial of the electronictransaction request to the electronic transaction terminal and theelectronic transaction terminal is further configured to (a) receivefrom the secured first computing device the communication ofconfirmation or denial of the electronic transaction request and (b)display to the patron the confirmation or denial of the electronictransaction request.
 10. The system of claim 1 wherein the secured firstcomputing device is further configured to communicate confirmation ordenial of the electronic transaction request to the electronictransaction terminal and the electronic transaction terminal is furtherconfigured to (a) receive from the secured first computing device thecommunication of confirmation or denial of the electronic transactionrequest and (b) provide to the patron, in the form of a printed receipt,confirmation or denial of the electronic transaction request.
 11. Thesystem of claim 1 wherein the network associated with the financialaccount comprises one of the PLUS, STAR, STAR Preferred, CIRRUS,INTERLINK, MONEY PASS, NYCE, Jeanie, Jeanie Preferred, Interlink,Interlink Business, PAVD, PAVD Business, Alaska Option, Armed ForcesFinancial Network, NetWorks, Pulse, Pulse Preferred, Pulse Limited,Shazam, Maestro, Credit Union 24, ACCEL, ACCEL Preferred, ATH Network,or NYCE Preferred networks.
 12. A method for purchasing gaming oramusement credits via electronic transaction, the method comprising: (A)providing at least one gaming device, amusement device, or gaming oramusement activity; (B) providing a secured first computing device; (C)providing an electronic transaction terminal certified for use in anelectronic transaction system and in exclusive secured electroniccommunication with the secured first computing device; (D) providing, bya patron via the electronic transaction terminal, electronic transactionrequest instructions; (E) securely communicating the instructions fromthe electronic transaction terminal to a secured first computing device;(F) generating a request for a financial transaction by the securedfirst computing device; (G) securely communicating the request from thesecured first computing device to a financial server associated with thefinancial account via a network associated with the financial server;(H) securely receiving, by the secured first computing device, anelectronic transaction approval from the financial server via thenetwork associated with the financial server; (I) generating, at thesecured first computing device, an authorization to dispense gaming oramusement credits; (J) securely communicating the authorization todispense credits from the secured first computing device to a creditsystem; (K) printing, by the credit system, a system redeemed voucherand dispensing said voucher to a dealer or other authorized gaming oramusement personnel; and (L) dispensing to the patron, by the dealer orother authorized gaming or amusement personnel, gaming or amusementcredits suitable for use with the at least one gaming device, amusementdevice, or gaming or amusement activity.
 13. The method of claim 12wherein the steps (D), (E), (F), and (G) of providing instructions,communicating the instructions, generating a request, and securelycommunicating the request for an electronic transaction further comprisethe use of at least one of any of a payment card industry (PCI)certified device, a PIN entry device (PED) certified device, achip-and-PIN (EMV) certified device, a point-of-sale (POS) personalidentification number (PIN) entry keypad, a payment card reader, a smartcard reader, a magnetic card reader, a chip-and-PIN (EMV) card reader, acontactless card reader, a secure contactless proximity card reader, adisplay, a network connectivity module, a printer, a printer port, asecure mobile application, a secure client-side application, and anelectronic transaction application.
 14. The method of claim 12 whereinthe step (D) of providing instructions to initiate an electronictransaction further comprises: (A) inserting a payment card into theelectronic transaction terminal; (B) selecting payment transaction typeand account; and (C) entering a personal identification number (PIN).15. The method of claim 12 further comprising a step whereby the securedfirst computing device communicates confirmation or denial of theelectronic transaction request to the electronic transaction terminaland the electronic transaction terminal is further configured to (a)receive from the secured first computing device the communication ofconfirmation or denial of the electronic transaction request and (b)display to the patron the confirmation or denial of the electronictransaction request.
 16. The method of claim 12 further comprising astep whereby the secured first computing device communicatesconfirmation or denial of the electronic transaction request to theelectronic transaction terminal and the electronic transaction terminalis further configured to (a) receive from the secured first computingdevice the communication of confirmation or denial of the electronictransaction request and (b) provide to the patron, in the form of aprinted receipt, confirmation or denial of the electronic transactionrequest.
 17. The method of claim 12 further comprising a step wherebythe secured first computing device communicates data pertaining to theelectronic transaction request and confirmation or denial of theelectronic transaction request from the secured first computing deviceto a secured second computing device and the secured second computingdevice provides accounting and reconciliation of all electronictransactions and system redeemed vouchers.
 18. A method of purchasingcredits in a gaming or amusement environment using an electronictransaction system, the method comprising: (A) using an electronictransaction terminal certified for use in an electronic transactionsystem and in exclusive secured electronic communication with a securedfirst computing device to provide electronic transaction requestinstructions; (B) generating a request for an electronic transactionusing the electronic transaction request instructions; (C) securelycommunicating the request for an electronic transaction from the securedfirst computing device to a financial server associated with thefinancial account via a network associated with the financial server;(D) securely receiving, at the secured first computing device, anelectronic transaction approval from the financial server via thenetwork associated with the financial server; (E) generating, by thesecured first computing device, an authorization to dispense credits tothe patron; (F) securely communicating the authorization to dispensecredits from the secured first computing device to a credit system; (G)printing, by the credit system, a system redeemed voucher and dispensingsaid voucher to a dealer or other authorized gaming or amusementpersonnel; (H) dispensing, by the dealer or other authorized gaming oramusement personnel to the patron, gaming or amusement credits suitablefor use with the at least one gaming device, amusement device, or gamingor amusement activity; and (I) receiving, by the patron, said gaming oramusement credits.
 19. The method of claim 18 wherein the steps (A),(B), and (C) of providing instructions, generating a request, andsecurely communicating the request for an electronic transaction furthercomprises the use of at least one of any of a payment card industry(PCI) certified device, a PIN entry device (PED) certified device, achip-and-PIN (EMV) certified device, a point-of-sale (POS) personalidentification number (PIN) entry keypad, a payment card reader, a smartcard reader, a magnetic card reader, a chip-and-PIN (EMV) card reader, acontactless card reader, a secure contactless proximity card reader, adisplay, a network connectivity module, a printer, a printer port, asecure mobile application, a secure client-side application, and anelectronic transaction application.
 20. The method of claim 18 whereinthe step (A) of providing electronic transaction request instructionsfurther comprises: (A) inserting a payment card into the electronictransaction terminal; (B) selecting payment transaction type andaccount; and (C) entering a personal identification number (PIN). 21.The method of claim 18 further comprising a step wherein the request forthe electronic transaction is generated by the electronic transactionterminal and communicated to the secured first computing device.
 22. Themethod of claim 18 further comprising a step wherein the electronictransaction request instructions are communicated from the electronictransaction terminal to the secured first computing device and therequest for an electronic transaction is generated by the secured firstcomputing device.